
future former fat chick
February 14, 2006
Feb 13, 2006
Happy Valentine’s Day!!!! I am absolutely, totally head-over-heels in love with… LIFE!!! Yep, that’s right, I am loving life, Baby! I feel healthy, I feel strong, and I am truly getting into excellent cardio-vascular condition for the first time ever. An illustration: we got about a foot of snow a couple of days ago and I shoveled snow for about 90 minutes. I never got out of breath and my body felt strong and conditioned the entire time. I had a “HUGE” amount of ground to clear, but I was like a fine-tuned machine! I had so much energy that I was still able workout for a couple of hours later that evening (cardio and toning). A year ago, I would have been wiped out for a week after the shoveling alone, plus it would not have taken me 90 minutes but several hours or more. God is good!
Weighing in at 184 this week. Nice! I am still amazed every time I lose a single pound. Still struggling with the urge to graze, but I am getting better at not giving in to the urge. I see my surgeon for my nine-month follow-up this week and I will ask about seeing the counselor. Shouldn’t drag my feet about that, as I am prone to do. I am also curious about my vitamin levels. I have been having some numbness in my hands and feet and I am getting a bit concerned about it. I understand that certain vitamin deficiencies cause nerve damage and I want to get it checked out. I am taking vitamins daily, but maybe I am having absorption issues. Here is what I take: 2 chewable multi-vitamins (twice the dosage because they’re bugs bunny vitamins), Citracal, Iron (ferrous fumerate), Vitamin A, Sublingual B-12 (2500 mcg), Biotin, and Vitamin C. I feel like I am taking enough, but maybe I need to switch to B-12 injections. I guess we will have to wait and see the bloodwork.
I am also going to ask about taking Devrom. It’s the pill that is supposed to de-funkafy your little trips to the bathroom. I used to read about people complaining about smelly gas and bathroom trips, but had never experienced anything above normal. Well, I am making up for lost time! You can only blame the dog so many times for post-fart putridness before people begin to realize that it is not the dog but rather… you. Sometimes it’s so bad that I don’t even want to be in the same room with me - smells like there is a decomposing skunk up there. I’ll see if the nurse has any suggestions. I’m sure they’ve been asked the question before.
Anyway, until next time!
303/184/135
January 31, 2006
Jan 30, 2006
I have decided that since my weight loss has slowed considerably that I will weigh in every two to three weeks rather than every week. I just wanted to check in today since it is the end of the month to get a January total. Five pounds! I am quite happy with that. That’s 24 pounds from November to January – the height of the holiday season. Who would have thought that it would be possible to lose that much weight over the holidays? God is so awesome and wonderful and good beyond words! Anyway, I’m still holding steady at about 190. That’s cool – I can hang at 190 for a spell. I know I’m losing inches because I can tell by my clothes.
I’m still exercising six days per week and following the food rules for the most part. I say for the most part because I have been struggling a bit with having a significant urge to graze when I am not hungry. I mean, we’re not just talking about something minor here, I get a “VERY” strong impulse to munch. I get agitated, restless, and downright troubled until I grab a couple of crackers or something. It’s like a drug addict needing a fix. Most of the time, I am able to fight off the urge without eating, but it is so dang hard and it is something that I don’t even think I should have to deal with in the first place. To be clear, this is NOT physical hunger; it is all in my head. I am a compulsive eater and I need to learn to cope with it. Dr. Von Rueden now has a counselor on staff and I may decide to go have a talk with her. No, I “WILL” go have a talk with her. That’s what she is there for.
Anyway, that’s all the news that fit to print. Until next time! Fifty-five pounds to goal! Woo hoo!!!!
303/190/135
January 24, 2006
Jan 23, 2006
Today is my eight-month anniversary, and I made the "post-op century club" - that is 100 pounds lost post-op (actually 101 pounds). I made the overall century club just before Christmas – 100 pounds lost including the pre-op weight lost, but I still wanted to get to 100 pounds lost post op. Well, I was 291 on surgery day and today I weighed in at 190! Nice eight-month anniversary gift, eh?
Everything is going very well. Sometimes I still get impatient and wish I would lose weight faster or at least lose clothing sizes faster, but I then realize how far I have come. I have come from a preop weight of 303 and an all time high of 319 down to 190. I have come from a size 30-32 to a size 16-18. I have come from not being able to walk up one flight of stairs without becoming winded to doing a 60-minute step aerobics class. I have come from having to take three different blood pressure medications and 2 different asthma medications to taking one pill per day. I have come from suffering from sleep apnea and severe restlessness and snoring to deep, restful sleep – no breathing problems and no snoring! I have come from being classified as “super morbidly obese” to merely “obese.” Most importantly, I have come from feeling completely hopeless to looking forward to seeing what the future holds. I actually look forward to seeing what God has in store for me and I now have the confidence to know that I can meet whatever challenge he gives me. I’m not perfect and I still have some “issues” to overcome, but I know that I have the strength to face them rather than use food to mask them. Last year at this time, I literally wished I did not exist. I wasn’t suicidal or anything, but I was so depressed about my weight that I just wished that I had never been born rather than have to go through life trapped in my 303 pound body. I had failed my latest weight loss attempt and I didn’t see any way out of the situation. But, God creates pathways over seemingly impossible terrain and here I sit one short year later 113 pounds lighter and feeling better about myself than I ever have in my entire life. So, go over, under, around, or if necessary, go through obstacles. Run right through that brick wall if you have to. But never, ever give up!
303/190/135
January 3, 2006
Jan 02, 2006
This is going to be a quickie post because I only have a few minutes. Anyway, I am back on schedule with the Tuesday weigh-ins and am at 194.5 today. Not bad considering my last weigh-in was a few days ago. Anyway, I am doing well – still working out and challenging my body in new and exciting ways. As much as I love the holidays, I am glad they are over because I can now return to a sense of normalcy. “Normalcy” meaning not being constantly surrounded by fattening food! Anyway, until next time…
303/194.5/135
December 30, 2005
Dec 29, 2005
I weighed-in a few days late so I could do it on the last day of the month. I am down to 195 for a total of 10 pounds lost during December and 108 pounds lost overall. How amazing is that? I don’t think there has ever been a holiday season where I have actually lost weight – especially not 10 pounds. Onederland is awesome, needless to say. I thank God every time I get on the scale and slide the big weight over to 150 rather than to 200. My next milestone is 175 and I would love to be there by my one-year anniversary date, which is May 24, 2006. I have a bit less than five months and would need to average 4 pounds per month to make it. I think it is doable, but even if I don’t make it, I will still be grateful for wherever I am.
Although it started out a bit rocky, 2005 has been a wonderful year for me and I can’t wait to see what 2006 holds. God bless and happy New Year!
303/195/135
December 20, 2005
Dec 19, 2005
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Stall over – weighed in at 199! That’s two “HUGE” milestones. First, I hit the Century mark of 100 pounds lost, and second, I finally arrived at Onederland! Being the pessimist I am, however, I don’t fully believe it. I have a doc’s appointment on Friday, so I will have to wait and see what his scale says. Anyway, I’m over the moon about it because for the first time since 6th grade, I am under 200 pounds. Even if I get on the scale tomorrow and it says 201, at least I know that for one day, I was under 200! Now if only I could find some decent jeans that fit…. Until next time, I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!
303/199!!!!!!/135
December 13, 2005
Dec 12, 2005
Hello from platueaville! Still at 207. Another short stall was bound to happen, so I was expecting it anyway. Maybe the inch loss will pick up like it did last time. Last time I stalled for about a month, but I also lost 12 or 13 inches during that period. In any case, I just want to keep working out and getting in water, protein, vitamins, and eating pretty well. If I keep doing those things, the loss will pick up, no question. I had to reschedule my six-month follow up because we had a snowstorm here. It is scheduled for the 23rd. I am interested in how my blood work is looking. I have been feeling good, so hopefully, I don’t have any deficiencies.
My mother is having a difficult time coping with the fact that she can no longer look to me to make herself feel better about her weight. For years, I outweighed her by 60 or so pounds - I was always over 300 and she was around 240-250, so she always had the comfort of knowing that she wasn’t the largest person in the family. Well, now she is; I weight about 35 pounds or so less than she (I am 207 and she’s 242) and am several clothing sizes smaller. So she has resorted to making “comments” periodically such as the other day when she announced that people should not have to resort to surgery to lose weight and that if people “honestly trust in God and make a firm commitment” they should be able to get by on willpower alone. *insert rolling eyes* Well, she clearly does not think that it takes willpower to stick to this program. I don’t know where people get their warped ideas. She then announced that she has dramatically changed her eating habits without the benefit of surgery. Let me tell you that it took every ounce of strength for me to resist asking her why she is still so nice and fat since if she’s such a paragon of willpower and nutritious eating. *insert rolling eyes again* But I didn’t want to hurt her feeling, so I just said, “ummm… yeah… sure.” If someone compliments me and she is within earshot, the first words out of her mouth are “what about me, what about me?” Plus, she still tries to sabotage my diet, like she has done my entire life. It’s starting to grate on my nerves. My idiotic younger sister has gone from making rude insulting comments about my weight to making rude insulting comments about my loose skin. My older sister (who is a size 12 and about 160 pounds) is so terrified that I will eventually get smaller than her that she’s literally starving herself. Good grief, what is wrong with people?!?!?!?!?! It’s a wonder that I’m sane. Well, the jury is still out on that one! (smile). Until next time.
303/207/135
December 6, 2005
Dec 05, 2005
Weighed in at 207 today, that’s a two pound gain. I don’t have a good explanation since I am eating and exercising pretty well. Maybe my inch loss will pick up. Who knows? We’ll see.
303/207/135
November 30, 2005
Nov 29, 2005
This is a quick entry because I don’t have much time. I weighted in at 205. That’s one pound down. Every lost pound counts! Last year at this time, I was probably gaining weight! Anyway, I’d love to lose six pounds and be in Onderland by the end of the year. We’ll see what happens. I’ll get there eventually, so I’m not going to stress out about it. That’s all for today.
303/205/135
November 22, 2005
Nov 21, 2005
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We all have much to be thankful for – our life, our family, our great country, each other… So, take some time and just thank our wonderful Creator for all the blessings he has bestowed upon us.
I weighed in at 206 today. I was 205 yesterday, but I wasn’t wearing sneakers when I weighed yesterday, so that might account for the one-pound difference. Anyway, I’m just thrilled to still be losing. I always expect to be on a plateau and I’m always surprised to step on the scale and see it moving down. God is so good!
I did a dumb thing yesterday. I haven’t had pretzels since surgery and I while I was in class last night, I ate some. I didn’t think it would be bad since it was only a few and since they were fat free. Boy did I pay for it later. I had a horrible stomachache all evening. My stomach is STILL upset this morning. No starchy stuff today. None. I’m having ½ a protein bar and 4 ounces of carb control yogurt for breakfast, 3 or 4 ounces of vegetarian chili for lunch and a salad with some salmon for dinner. If I feel hungry and need a small snack, I’ll have an ounce of cheese. No crackers, no melba toast, no triscuits - at least not today. I am allowed whole grains in moderation. ;)
Exercise is still going strong. It is such an important part of my life right now. I shudder to think what I would look like if I weren’t working out and toning up so much. I can feel muscles in my legs, thighs, and buttocks, and I can see nice muscle tone in my arms and shoulders. Once I get to goal and have some of my excess skin chopped off, I’ll really be able to appreciate the muscle tone.
I was doing some cleaning around the house the other day and it hit me like a ton of bricks how fast I was able to work and how much I was able to get done so quickly. Last year at this time, it took me 90 minutes or more to clean my living room, bedroom and bathroom. I was lumbering around so slowly, it was a struggle to get up and down the stairs and getting on my hands and knees to dust under things was quite an ordeal. This weekend, I dusted and vacuumed my living room, the stairway, the second floor hall, my bedroom and I wiped down everything in the bathroom and I was done in about 45 minutes. I never got out of breath, carrying the vacuum cleaner up and down the stairs was a non-issue, and getting on my hands and knees to dust under the coffee table and end tables was second nature. What a fabulous blessing! In addition, I went out on Sunday after church to do some Christmas and grocery shopping. I was out for about four hours and I went to four or five different stores and when I got home I still had a ton of energy. My back wasn’t hurting like it used to hurt and my feet weren’t hurting like they did before I lost the weight. In fact, I got home put the groceries away, wrapped the gifts I bought then went for a three-mile power walk and did upper-body weight lifting after that.
I guess this is my “official” six-month post. God has blessed me beyond description! Ninety-seven pounds down, four clothing sizes down, two shoe sizes down. It blows my mind to think how far He has brought me and how much He has blessed my health. I will not squander this blessing. For me to goof off and overeat and stop exercising and not take my vitamins and do all the wrong things would be like ripping up the blessings God has given me and throwing them back in His face. I owe it to Him as well as to myself to work this wonderful tool. And I mean WORK it!
Speaking of work, I’d better get back to it. I hope anyone reading this has a wonderful Thanksgiving. God bless you and your family. As always, don’t forget that Jesus loves you and wants to be your savior today!
303/206/135